Importing from CAD – Taking data from Revit to Scalgo Live

The recommended workflow for bringing a terrain model, e.g. a toposolid, from Revit to Scalgo Live is by creating a triangulated surface in IFC format.   Revit supports "Export to IFC" directly.

The default setting for export to IFC 4 in Revit is with low level of detail. That is often not good enough,  as Scalgo Live wants the precise geometry to update the surface model for accurate analysis.  

To export to IFC with high level of detail, you need to change the export settings.

If you go to IFC export in Revit, you get this window:

The standard export setup "IFC4 Reference View" uses low level of detail. So you need to press "Modify setup",which gives you this window:

Here, you can first select one of the standard setups. Here we used "IFC4 Reference View [Architecture]". Then use the second button on the bottom left - its tooltip says "Create a new setup based on the selected setup". You can give it a name - here we used used "IFC4 Reference View [Architecture] High LOD". Then go into the tab for "Level of Detail" and change it to "High". Save the setup, and use that in your export.

The file size of this export will be much larger than with low level of detail, but Scalgo Live really needs all the details of your project geometry!

Scalgo Live can only use your model if it uses coordinates that represent a well-defined position on Earth, that is, if the model has been geo-referenced.

Revit lets you geo-reference your model by defining a survey point.  Once the model has been geo-referenced, all IFC exports automatically carry the geo-reference information that Scalgo Live needs to place the model.

Please consult the Revit manual for details on setting the survey point.